Tank heater



Feb; 26, 1935. 5', BRADLEY 1,992,468

TANK HEATER Filed March 2, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Feb. 26, 1935.F. 5. Bmw 1,992,468

- TANK HEATER Filed March 2, 1954 5 Sheets-She et 2 Inventor f1 llomeyFeb. 26, 1935. v I F. s. BRADLEY 1,992,468

TANK HEATER Filed March 2, 1934 5 SheetsSheet' 4 I .76 J3 I r i r l I 1l v amwm.

Feb. 26, 1935;

F. S. BRADLEY TANK HEATER Fiied Margh 2, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 f/ if I IInventor fiifiraaay flllorney By QM Patented Feb. 26, 1935 UNITED ST TEThis invention relates to the broad class-of heating apparatus and hasmore particular ref.- erence to a device such as is referred toherein-.after as a tank heater, wherein said device,as

the name implies; is submerged in. water in a tank or receptacle in amanner toheat the water and utilize the heat generated thereby forheating and cooking purposes. y

In reducing the r invention to practice I have evolved and produced astructure possessing notee worthy features of refinement and structuralim--- provement carefully selected and coordinated'to' promoteefiiciency and to permit the accomplishment-of the desired result in aand satisfactory manner;

In perfecting the principles of the present.

ventive idea my-primary aim is to utilize a heat:

er employing economical fuel such as coaliand M Wood and to embody inSaidheater a multiplicity of open ended-water tubes which when sub-..merged in the water in the tanksurroundingthe' heater: provide 'thedesired circulation for efiective and-positive heating results.

As I visualize the improved structure in" contrast known heatersof asimilar type I fi ndseveral structural distinctions which,- it. isbelieved,

transcend similar adaptations in that theylare more satisfactorilyadapted and fitted for the intendedpurposes.

One featureis predicated upon the. adoption and -use of a removablemultiple grate unit on.

which thefire is built with an ash pan located therebeneath-togetherwith shakingmeans for.

the'grate located-in an elevated branch forming anintegral-part of thecasingstructure andservA ing as a chute for remcving the ash pan, as ameans of access to the shaker device as. well I in the firepotfordirectheatingmeans and others located- 1111a, predetermined. portionof the smoke.

flue so as to effectively.- utilize .the exhausting particles of heatand heat waves for efficient heat generation purposes.

A. further feature of the construction, as will be hereinafter.discerned, is found in the adop-j tion and'use of .a-verticallyelongated body con-, stitu'ting. the major part of the casing[structurev which body-.definesthe ashpit, firepot and heater and whichisso fashioned. as to. accommodate a highlyrdependable .removablefoodcontaining vessel such as a pot or kettle employed for cooking food.

Other'and more specific structural features and improvements will becomemore readily apparent.

from they following description and drawings;' 1

In the drawings:

tionship.

Figure 2 is a top plan-view of Figure 1. I Figure 3 is a centralvertical sectional. view with parts in elevation, taken approximately onthe plane of the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken slide' located in thesmoke flue, the section being.

on the plane of the line 66 of Figure 3;.

Figures 7 and 8 are detail sections on the line I 7-7 and18.8respectively of FigureB.

Figure 9 is a perspectivexview of theash pan Figure 10 is .a.perspective view'of one ofthe pipes forming ,a water circulating tube.

Figure 1 is .a side elevational view of the complete assembly disclosingthe shape of the com-v ponent parts and. their relative structuralrela-i PJAT'E N'T" OFFICE- Figure .11 is a horizontal sectional iew onthe plane of .the line 11-.-11. of Figure 3.

Figure 12 is a horizontal. section on the. line 12-12I 0f Figure 1. V t

Figure '13 is a sectional view of theremovable hopper.. i

Figure 14 isa detail elevational view of the removable feedpot orkettle. a

vReferringwfirst to Figure 1 which shows the casing structure and itsparts in elevation it will be observed that it is in the formofa sheetmetal casing which includes a vertically elongated body 15 which may bedescribed as the heater proper. As shown in Figure 12 this issubstantially rec-a tangular in cross sectional shape. Then .as shown inFigure 1. it will be observed that the numeral 16 designates a laterallyand upwardly directed hollow branch/which is an integral part of thecasing structure. and which is disposediat an approximate acute angle tothe heater'15 ris ing to a point above the normal waterlevel line, thatis the water level of the tank orother vessel (not shown) in which thedevice is submerged ina well known manner. heater 15v and thebranchil'fi it is. substantially L-shaped intermediate orsubordinate'branch 17 which constitutes a part of the smoke flue' andwhich'is joined as at 18 tolthe heater at ;a"point Between-the body orReferring now to Figure 3 I call attention to the numerals 20 whichdesignate a removable cover having steam discharge passages 21 and aclosing valve or disk 22 for regulation purposes. On the interior belowthis cover is a supporting ledge 23 fashioned to support the taperedportion 24 of a hopper. It will be observed that the hopper is formedwith a depending neck 25 to the firebox or chamber. p

This firebox is differentiated bythe numeral 26 and in reality is merelythe area above the grate structure. This grate structure comprises aplurality of rockably mounted fuel supporting grates 27 carried byhanger straps 28 removably= supported on appropriate supporting elements29 on the interior of the heater. The grate structure orassembly issupported in elevated position above the bottom of the heater soastodefine an ashpit. In this ashpit is located a removable ash pan ortray 30. It will also be observed in Figure 3 that. the grates are madefor connection with a shaker link 31 actuated by a detachable. elongatedremote control handle 32. In connection with this handle I would pointout that there is a partition on the interior of the branch 16 whichdivides it into an adapter chute 33 and a smoke flue 34. The smoke'fiuehas communication withthe heater by way of the aforementioned branch 1'7at its intake 18. In fact these two features 17 and. 34' define a sortof a V-shaped smoke flue.

I use the term chute to define the passage 33 since this permits the ashpan to be grasped by a suitable instrument,'such as tongs (not shown)and drawn upwardly through the chute for dumping purposes. This permitsremoval of ashes without lifting the heater from the water tank. Theupper end of the chute is covered by alid ,35 having a suitableadjustable valve or damper 36. This lid is normally closed and thedamper can be adjusted as conditions require so as to permit the samechute 33 to serve as a down draft for feeding air to the fire. Thispassage 33 also functions'as a convenient means for inspecting thecondition of the'fire whenever necessary or desired. Its principalpurposev however is to permit the handle 32 to be inserted and connected7 with the link 31 for the purpose of shaking the grates to keep thefire in good condition and yet permitting this to be accomplished bysimply opening the 116.35 'withou't making it'necessary to lift .orremove the device from the body of water in which itissubmerged. It willbeno'.

ticed as an incidental feature'that the part constituting the juncturebetween the'passages 1'7 and 34 is formed with a soot opening or holewhich is closed by a slide plate 3.7. This is mounted .in suitableguides 38 and it is' con structed to permit a suitable tool to beinserted down through the chute 33 and engaged with'the slide foropening it to allow the soot tobe dropped" down into the ash pan. Thisisfor cleaning the smoke flue conveniently.

I next call attention to the numeral 39 which designates a pipe or sackhaving a damper 40. This is attached to the upper end of the smoke flue.On. the interior is a gutter 41 which serves as a condensationltrap. Thesmoke in escaping. carries a certain; amount of moisture and thismoisture collected in the trap and is discharged through a drain pipe42. This decidedly increases the efliciency of operation of the deviceas a whole.

I I next call attention to the tube arrangement.

The main tubes are designated by the numerals 43 and are located in thefirebox. Any suitable number of tubes may be employed. They arepreferably arranged in superposed relation and open through opposedwalls of the heater 15. Then there are supplementalwater tubes 44located in appropriate order and spaced relation in the V-shaped smokedischarge passage or flue discharge the coal or other fuel convenientlyinto made up of the features 17 and 34. This permits the utilization ofthe escaping heat particles and smoke to more effectively heat the waterthrough the instrumentality of the supplemental water tubes 44.- Inother words the main tubes 43 are heated by direct heat from the fireboxand the water tubes 44 by the escaping heat waves carried by the smokeand combustion. The uppermost tubes of bothsets are located in anapproximate novel plane which is below' the normal water level line inthe tank (not shown). Inci dentally the water in the'tank is circulatedback and forth throughthe water tubes in an obvious way when it becomesheated. The water is of course heated by the fire in the firebox as isevi-" dent. I

As before stated the device as a heater for buildings or otherenclosures or it may be utilized as a cooker. 1 When utilized asa cookerI have found it practical and expedient to employ a feed pot or kettle45 of the type shown in Figure 14. This pot is provided with asupporting flange 46 which rests on the top of the heater. It is coveredby the lid or cover plate 20 and the steam is allowed to escape throughstructure is removable, and the ash pan is re'- movable.

As an added feature I provide on one side of the heater a side fuelfeeder which is nothing more than a container 4'7 of the type shown inFigure 5 this being provided with a valved cover 48. Thus when thedevice is used for cooking purposes this side feeder is filled with coaland the' coal is automatically gravitated into the firebox. In a sensethe side feeder is an automatic stoker.

I desire to emphasize the portability ofthe device as a unit as well asthe fact that it serves not only as a heater for heat radiation and roomwarming purposes but as a convenient cooker for feeds. Secondly I callattention to the removability of the pot or kettle 45 as well as theremovability to the top of the heater 15 of the hopper and gratestructure. When the grate structure is removed the handle 32, which isof an extension and detachable type, is of course disconnected.

In conclusion I desire to point out that the grate structure can ofcourse be removed through the top of the heater by removing the hopperand cover. This necessitates tilting or angling of the grate structureso that it can be passed between the fiues 43. It is also possible todisconnect the grate structure from its supporting may be employed meansat the bottom of the firebox and to drop it down into the ashpit andremove it by way of the chute 33. Although it is possible to leave thehopper 24 in place even when the feed pot is put in position it isgenerally desirable to remove the hopper first and then put the pot inposition so that it will receive a more distributed supply of heat fromthe firebox. The water tank is of course proportioned with respect tothe heater as to allow the top of the heater and the correspondingportions of the chute to stand above the normal water level in the tank.

Minor changes in shape, size, and rearrangement of details coming withinthe field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, ifdesired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a casing structureincluding a vertically elongated portion defining the heater proper, aplurality of water tubes located in the lower portion of said heater, agrate assembly supported below said water tubes and. above the bottom ofthe heater, said grate assembly including a plurality of complementaloscillatory grates connected together by a single operating link, an ashpan supported in the pit portion of the heater below said grateassembly, said casing structure including a lateral upstanding branchcommunicating at said lower end with said pit, said branch including achute for removing the ash pan, said branch extending to a point abovethe normal Water line and serving notonly vas a down draft but as ameans permitting the use of an extension handle therein for actuatingsaid link, said branch being partitioned so that the 2. In a device ofthe class described comprising a casing structure including a verticallyelongated portion defining the heater proper, a plurality of water tubeslocated in the lower portion of the heater, a grate assembly supportedbelow said water tubes and above the bottom of the heater, an ash pansupported in the pit portion of the heater below the grate, a lateralupstanding branch, said casing structure including said lateralupstanding branch communicating at its lower end with the pit, saidbranch being partitioned whereby the upper portion thereof defines asmoke discharge flue, and means extending upwardly'from the grate in thelower portion of the branch for manually shaking the grate.

, FLOYD S. BRADLEY.

